Stories from The Creative State North West

Liam Scollan, IWA Knock — Business Perspective

IWA Knock is an airport serving 25 international destinations and carried 710,000 passengers in 2012. It is served by Europe’s top airlines: Ryanair, Lufthansa, Flybe, Aer lingus and Aer Arann.

4CNW Innovation Challenge

The Airport’s 4CNW Innovation Challenge called on Creatives to develop a cost effective way of promoting the airport’s tourism routes into the region through the use of the arts. While the routes through the airport reach countries with a total population of 350 million, the cost of promoting in these destinations is commercially prohibitive. The challenge was to specifically target the attraction of 25,000 overseas viewers /potential tourists for a live traditional music event in a manner which will engage them with what the region offers by way of access and tourism products.

In the short video below you can hear the story of this innovative challenge

Michael O Domhnaill & Tara Mc Gowan joined forces to answer this very exciting and innovative challenge. Together they created a dedicated website Ireland West Trad and on November 20th 2012, web streamed their first live event from The Dock Theatre, in Carrick On Shannon, Co. Leitrim. It was important to both the Creatives & IWA Knock that the event was an authentic representation of the cultural activities in the region. Highprofile musicians such as Donal Lunny & Charile McGettigan played alongside local musicians who feature in regular pub music sessions across the county.

The event and surrounding social media campaign surpassed all expectations and was a phenomenal success. The group plan to run a further 8 live events in 2013 to build upon this momentum. Watch a podcast from the live trad event here.

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